Voices In The Dust - disquiet.com
It’s tough to cut against the drone grain, since the drone is, by and large, grain-less. What the drone is is vaporous, verdant — more defined by a lack of texture than by its presence. To cut against the drone’s grain might, perhaps, mean to segment it in a manner that employs rough edges, sudden cuts — approaches that contradict its sinuous coherence and tonal intent. But sometimes the intent can be put aside by a more modest decision, like listening out of context. Take the album Voices in the Dust by Somnarium. It was released recently on the darkwinter.com netlabel, and its seven dense tracks employ all manner of soundtrack techniques to instill a sense of portent. The album’s brief liner note clearly depicts the release as an album, not as a collection of individual tracks to be selected from, and it suggests strongly that the collective set be listened to in the dark (“total darkness,” in fact). So, while that admonitory direction can certainly be adhered to, one might also listen to *Voices in the Dust** a track at a time. One might pluck, for example, the shuddering wind chimes and snaking rhythmic burbling and choral overtones of “Gilded Fugue State” (MP3) from the mix, and play it on its lonesome. In a way, that is adhering to the authorial intent, because by listening to it devoid of its six other parts, one is, in a sense, listening in the dark.
June 03, 2012 - Bert Strolenberg
The Fourth Presence - Marc Weidenbaum (disquiet.com)
There are many types of drones. When we speak of drones, even just the drones that fall under the broad rubric of electronica or electronic music, we can be speaking of many things, all of them quite different from one another. There are high-pitched squeals that seem to have dogs as their intended audience and that often speak to anxiety about technological creep. There are ambiguous swaths of field recordings that seek the underlying sonic narratives in everyday life. There are thin wisps closer to ether, soft sounds that speak of the alignment of spirits and electricity. These are among the many things that purveyors of drones and connoisseurs of drones call drones. And then there are the drones that the general public would recognize as drones: the thick, dirge-like, extended instances of ear-rumbling tone. Such is "Wretched Seed," the penultimate track off Somnarium's recent release, The Fourth Presence, on the Dark Winter netlabel. It's a slow-moving mass of deathly solemnity -- and, for those not privy to the tastes of drone-listeners, that's a high compliment. It sounds as if video artist Douglas Gordon had taken the opening moments of the original Star Wars film, when the cruiser moves past overhead, and slowed them to the precise length necessary for the newly attenuated audio -- stretched like taffy, but all the darker for the effort -- to serve as a backing score for a dramatic reading of Stanislaw Lem's novel Solaris (MP3). Such is the intensity of Somnarium (aka Australian Michael Meara).
June 03, 2012 - Bert Strolenberg
A selection of Frost album reviews/comments.
August 15, 2011 - Hypnagogue
The Last Days Of Autumn - mini-album review by Bert Strolenberg.
Michael Meara’s "The last days of autumn" is an ep of 25 minutes, containing one uninterrupted free form ambient track. The album starts out with warm string textures, which is soon accompanied by nice violin, soft piano and flute. It’s a slow moving piece with a reflective, melancholic impact, of which the overall sound can do with a bit more work (as there are some rough edges here and there). Nevertheless, this atmospheric recording should appeal to fans of the older music of Darshan Ambient and Altus. Nicely done Michael!
Abstractus Somnarium: Deep Space Meditations - album review by Bert Strolenberg.
A while back, my attention was drawn by a tip of one of the members of EmPortal to this Australian ambient musician I hadn’t heard of. Well, the musician’s website told me Michael Meara put out around 15 self-released cd-r albums next to having contributed single tracks to various concept compilations/samplers. The albums subtitle title actually says it all, as “Abstractus Somnarium” contains six relaxing and well composed space floaters to make your mind settle take a rest or make it wander. Next to soft freeform textures there are also some sonic additions of twinkling piano, violin, and guitar, all sculptured in a delicate, refined form of cosmic music. Mr Meara shows a lot of potential, so those who love the space music of Roach should certainly not dwell & check out this wonderful music. Keep an eye on this guy! Abstractus Somnarium: Deep Space Meditations - album review by Gary Andrews. Michael Meara is a musician based in Brisbane Australia. Looking on his website www.sonicjourney.com it is evident that Michael is a prolific purveyor of electronic music in the classic ambient genre, with fifteen albums under his belt and more projects on the way.Although the albums are self-released on recordable compact disc, it is evident that the musicianship and quality of the music is of a professional standard and a labour of love.The Abstractus album with its Meditations title and spacey cover conjures up images of a serene space music before the album even hits the CD player..With titles like Dark Nebulaeand The Decline Of Nova Persei the music entices the listener to venture inside ones own psyche but could just as well be used as a useful tool for relaxation or as a background music to work or a creative use such as writing. Michael has produced an album of classic space music that should have its own niche in the electronic music world that is in equal stature to artists like Steve Roach or the more cosmic side of Klaus Schulze, its that good. Ephemeron Night Pulse - album review by Paul Rijkens On this CD-R, Michael Meara produces a form of ambient where people like Harold Budd and Brian Eno seem to have an influence. Thus, there are a lot of eerie and treated piano touches that are stretched out, accompanied by soft synthesizer sounds. For instance, in "Endless Drift" these sound quite nice. Also, "Sirens Of The Sea" and "Late Narcotic Phase" are fine. The last track has some traces of the music of Michael Neil. Highlighted Demo Beatless ambience that's finished to an extremely high standard and would effortlessly slot onto some chillout compilation somewhere. Very nice indeed. Keep it up. Lush, beatless soundscapes are the order of the day here, and very well done they are too. You know the score... swathes of transforming pads gliding over one another to create some truly rich melodies. And what made it stand out from the pack? A very well polished production, ultimately. We get a lot of Eno-esque soundscape tracks, but this is one of the better ones. Obviously it's not going to be to everyone's taste but you've built up a lovely atmosphere in a clean bright mix. Maybe fill it out with a few more sections as it's rather sparse in places? A heavily reverbed doom laden backing track, with a mix that includes atmospheric synths and slide guitar, serves as a backdrop for Michael's equally doom laden 'Nick Cave with a sore throat' vocals on the first track. The second is a dense heavyweight instrumental with ambient lead guitar that builds into a right old cacophony that could very easily slot into a film soundtrack. Voices In The Dust
Refer to disquiet.com.
Contemplation 1: Void In Form
As one can imagine with such a title, this is an album of overall quiet and calming soundscape musings. It’s also the first in an ongoing series of subliminal drift pieces by Australian ambient musician Michael Meara.
"Contemplation 1: Void in Form" contains one 51-minute piece of gradually evolving long form ambient that includes a significant portion of processed lap-steel guitar. This soothing and overall introspective atmosphere of nicely layered freeform textures is best appreciated at low-volume playback. The second half of the release is the strongest, revealing a nice interaction of carefully layered pads with ethereal guitar licks and lower frequencies.
"Contemplation 1: Void in Form" is available as free download in various formats from the Free Floating music net-label.
The Fourth Presence
Refer to disquiet.com.
Somnarium’s 50-minute "The Fourth Presence", inspired by the works of Dante and Lustmord, takes its listeners on an otherworldly trip into dense and darker spaces.
The outcome are six free form pieces of headphone music with slow evolving, textural landscapes linked by processed guitar experimentations, featuring the occasional use of field recordings as source material including random radio static. The spacious realm and slow but progressive alterations in the various sonic layers embedded within the slightly drony soundscape music keep things vibrant and interesting all the way.
While immersing into the quite intense "The Fourth Presence" it almost seems the outskirts of the cosmos are lying just around the corner. Michael Meara, aka Somnarium, did another fine job here.
Frost
Displaying a warmth that belies its title, Somnarium’s Frost is a 70-minute flow of soft-edged drone mixed with piano, guitar and manipulated voice and radio transmissions. Artist Michael Meara’s stated intent is to capture “arctic vastness and the impact such extreme environments can have on the human psyche,” and pulls inspiration from the written accounts of early polar expeditions. If that’s the case, the resultant music feels less like an impact than the quiet mental wanderings we embark upon when we’re removed from the overloading pollution of too much input and we find ourselves alone in our heads, the internal chatter beginning to clear. The spaces Meara reveals are wide and open, places where the sound of a thought can carry forever. The blend of ethereal wash and earthly instrument is balanced well in every track; listen to the quiet melancholy hiding within “Ice,” the piano reluctantly speaking through the flow. Frost‘s five tracks take their time in describing themselves; only “Nimrod” clocks in at under 10 minutes. Meara spreads his thoughts smoothly across the area he gives himself to work in, carves the sonic landscapes with patience and ease, and the pieces benefit from it. Frost is both calming and affecting, the way a good ambient disc should be. This is a disc you’ll leave playing for hours at a time.
May 13, 2011 - Bert Strolenberg
With the album "Frost", composer Michael Meara brings us another fine release of smooth ambient sonics, this time inspired by profound cold weather conditions.
The five expansive vistas offer subtle, gentle, orchestral and symphonic renditions with some piano, overall breathing the fresh atmospherics and the remoteness of cold plains and spaces. It but also airs the beauty and the blissful feel that make the listener feel at ease as the sonic journey gradually unfolds layer after layer.
I’m sure fans of Harold Budd, Altus, Irezumi’s "Endurance" or any other well-crafted textural soundscape music with an arctic touch will find the enchanting and cinematic longform music of "Frost" very satisfactory and great to immerse into.
"Frost" is available as free download from the Earthmantra net-label.
January 23, 2011 - mekydro
This album pictures perfectly the stark and natural beauty of the Earth's Polar regions. Let yourself be carried to a vista of ice, snow and frost, untouched by the hand of man. The music captures the beauty but perhaps not the raw power and harshness of the snowscapes which were such a challenge to the early explorers. Having said that I rate it very highly for unwinding the soul, especially the relatively formless first track. A superb composition.
January 21, 2011 - SourceCodeX aka John W Patterson
Superb! Michael Meara has hit my ambient nail on the head with this one! He has sent us, (EER-MUSIC.com), his superb ambient works before and they are always stellar blissforms. Great job Michael! I am V-ing this one right now . . . Thanks again for the wide-expanse-bliss!
January 19, 2011 - Free Floating Music
I picked up quite a few stellar new releases since the last show and the focus was on them this week—especially the divine new release from Somnarium (aka Michael Meara).
January 18, 2011 - HRO
Smooth music to easy the mind! Great album. it is as deep as Stephen Philips' "Lightness of Being" with hints of the amazing Tim Story. But sometimes like a darker Arcticology. Enjoy!
Refer to the earthmantra site for further detail.
The Last Days Of Autumn
Refer to Sonic Immersion website.
Abstractus Somnarium: Deep Space Meditations
Refer to Sonic Immersion website.
From issue #32 of "Sequences" magazine. Ephemeron Night Pulse
From "E-dition" magazine - Issue # 12 (April 2006).Endless Drift
From "Future Music" magazine FM172 March 2006. The Dark Wings Of Rusalka
From "Future Music" magazine FM170 January 2006. Organic Fields
From "Future Music" magazine FM168 Winter 2005. Crocodile
From "Future Music" magazine FM161 May 2005.
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